Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes with Rosemary & Garlic

Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes -Crispy potato skin, buttery inside! This is potato heaven! Also the Easiest most perfect bite-sized appetizer recipe!

This recipe is Vegetarian, Paleo and Whole-30 approved. It can be made plant based & Vegan with just one swap.And it can be made in air fryer or Oven!

Who doesn't love potatoes? I can eat them all day..all week long! But crispy fried potatoes? Those are my favorite kinds!

And these air fryer garlic smashed potatoes are so cwiiiispy ! The potato skin crisps up and the inside remain soft and fluffly.You can also make them in the oven.

Speaking of crispy and fluffy! You could also try my garlicky hasselback potatoes made in the air fryer or make this version of parmesan hasselback potatoes in the oven

It's the best of ALL worlds!

I make them when I am hosting a dinner or throwing a party with drinks and finger foods. Besides this recipe, do give Honey Garlic Potatoes also a try. They are delicious!

Potatoes are also quite filling and what's more...Kids love them!

I have tested this recipe with Boiled potatoes, air fryer baked potatoes and microwaved potatoes.

You get the best air fryer smashed potatoes using the boiling method.

If you want to know the why and the how's, I will explain in detail below.

Also check out our collection of more than 50 Air fryer Appetizers and finger foods

Why we love Smashed Potatoes

So many reasons!! okay..i will list just the top 3.

• Easy to make -Especially for new beginner cooks. Just boiling the potatoes and smashing them! Really that's the only job..Rest is done by the air fryer!
• Potatoes - My first love! Who does'nt love potatoes and if they are buttery crispy and soft all together then who can resist them right?
• Vegetarian, Gluten Free & Easily Vegan
• Minimal Clean up
• No waste recipe as you don't peel the potatoes but use the skin to make it even more delish!

Ingredients to make Crispy Smashed Potatoes

Here is what you will need to make the best crispy smashed potatoes!

• Small Potatoes - 1 inch
• Butter
• Olive Oil
• Rosemary
• Garlic Powder
• Salt

Potatoes

You can use any kind of baby potatoes - Fingerling, Yellow or Yukon Gold.Red Potatoes will work too.

I like to use at least 1-1.5 inch in diameter(length ) potatoes. They are big enough to get soft inside and crispy on the outside. Smaller potatoes can loose the softness.

You can also make crispy smashed potatoes using large potatoes but the cooking time of those will be very different.

Butter

I like using butter here because I just love the taste of potatoes and butter together.

You can make this recipe vegan and plant based by using oil instead of butter. My choice of oil is avocado or olive oil.You could also use vegan butter like amrgerine instead.

Seasonings

As you can see, I have used a mix of rosemary, chili and garlic. You can switch up the seasoning or use what you have. Here are some of my top seasoning suggestions

• Ranch Seasoning
• Zaatar
• Salt & Pepper
• Sea Salt & Rosemary
• Italian Seasoning
• Curry Powder or Chaat Masala
• Smoked Chilli and salt

How to make Rosemary Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Here are the steps to make super fluffy baby potatoes in the air fryer.

Step 1: Prep

Make sure you scrub and clean the potatoes well before cooking. You don't want sandy bits in your crispy potatoes.

Mix the butter, Rosemary, olive oil, garlic powder and salt in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave till the butter has melted.

Step 2: Cook the Potatoes

You can cook the potatoes by microwaving them, Air frying them or by boiling them.

Boiling

The best method is the boil them. It takes more time and effort but it makes the fluffiest and crispiest smashed potatoes.

Just add the potatoes to salted boiling water. The salt in the water will season the potatoes from inside.

Boil them till you can pierce them easily with a fork.

Microwave

The fastest method is the microwave them. Just microwave them covered for 10 minutes till they are fork tender.

You want the potatoes to be soft so you can smash them easily.

Air frying

Air fry the potatoes straight after the wash for about 20 minutes.

This way you are only using one appliance.

Step 3: Smash the Potatoes

Use a glass or a potato masher to smash the potato.Make sure to not make it too thin.

You want to flatten it to about 1.5-2 cm thickness. That way there is enough potato inside for it to be soft while being crispy on the outside.

If your potatoes are not getting smashed easily, it means they need to be cooked a bit more.

Step 4: Air Fry or Bake

Melt the butter,Rosemary Olive Oil, garlic powder, salt and ground chilli.

Brush the potatoes with spiced butter.

Place the potatoes in the air fryer. Air fry for 10-12 minutes. Alternatively you can bake them in the baking sheet for 20-22 minutes at 180 C or 365F.

Open the air fryer, brush the potatoes with the butter again.Air fry for another 5 minutes.

Remove. Serve immediately.

Comparison of Potato cooking methods

Quick Summary

Boiling Potatoes - The best texture, takes longer
Air frying Potatoes - Lesser clean up and Easier workflow
Microwave- Half the cooking time. But dryer than the other 2 methods

Here are details of my potato cooking experiment

Microwaved Potatoes

All you need to do is microwave scrubbed potatoes in a covered pot for 5 minutes.Make sure you pierce them..or they can burst because of internal pressure.

While this is the fastest method, it gets the least points for taste.I only make this when i am low on patience and cooking just for myself.

Here are the Final takeaways from microwave+ Air frying Method

• Fastest method. Takes a total of 15 minutes start to finish.
• Air fried potatoes which are microwaved first, come out dry and chewy as compared to other methods.
• They are not seasoned evenly
• Sometimes have a bitter aftertaste.

Air Fry Potatoes

As the name suggests, to cook the potatoes, you air fry them for 20 minutes in the air fryer before smashing them and air frying again.

For this method too, make sure you pierce the potatoes.Using this method, you do everything in one cooking method.Thats the reason its simpler.

Here is whats noteworthy using the double Air fryer method

• Easier, lesser clean up.
• Takes as much time as boiling potatoes.So no win as per time
• Fluffier and crispier potatoes than the microwaved method.
• Do not get seasoned evenly.Especially as compared to the boiling method.

Boiling Potatoes

Though this method takes more work, the potatoes come out fluffy and soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.Thats exactly what we want.

This is my chosen method. Especially when i want to impress!

• The best taste and texture. Crispy on the outside and fluffy inside
• They taste amazing even after cooling down.
• They also remain crispy.

Variations and Substitutes

Instead of seasoning it with Rosemary, you can also try the following combinatios

• Roasted Garlic & Herb Butter
• Indian Chaat Smashed Potatoes- Ghee and Tamarind chutney.
• Spicy Asian Smashed Potatoes - Honey, Soy and Chili flakes
• Lime & Chili Seasoning

You can also use smoked chilli instead of paprika to give it another level of flavour.

Garlic Herbs & Butter

My newest trick is to make a tonne of Garlicky herby compound butter and use it to make my holiday sides!

Brush your smashed potatoes with the butter instead. The flavor is unbelievable!

My fav Kitchen Tools & Gadgets

Air-Fryer

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Instant-Pot

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Silicon Glove

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Ahead of Time Cooking

These are great because most of the work can be done ahead of time.

You can boil the potatoes a couple of days before, smash them and keep them in the refrigerator.

On the day you want to serve, just brush them with oil or butter with seasoning and air fry them.

I sometimes double air fry them just before serving. And that takes no time at all!

Another great vegetarian appetizer that can be prepped ahead of time is air fryer stuffed mushrooms. It's delicious!

Special Notes

Here are some important things to note in this recipe

• The potatoes need to be a tad bit overcooked to be able to be mashed easily.
• To make the potatoes extra crispy, Add a touch more olive oil and air fry them at lower temperature for longer. This will crisp up the skin a lot more.
• Another way to make these potatoes more crispy is by smashing them thinner. But by doing so, you will loose the creaminess on the inside.
• This dish is best served hot, right out of the oven/ air fryer. If you are making them ahead, you should reheat them in the air fryer or oven so that they get crispy and hot.
• The type of potatoes you use, will determine the texture of the potato.

Storing & Freezing

These crispy potatoes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5-6 days. To eat, simply reheat the potatoes in a preheated oven or air fryer for 5-8 minutes.

Refrigeration will make the potatoes soft. They will loose all the crispy crunch from the skin. And that is why I suggest you reheat them in oven or the air fryer so they can get crispy again.

Freezing Potatoes- Technically you can freeze anything and everything. Freezing leftover smashed potatoes will make sure you always have some on hand.Plus it reduces food wastage.

That said, freezing might change the texture of the creamy potato flesh inside. But on the plus side, these potatoes will defrost quickly because they have so much surface area.

I just pop them in the air fryer at 170C or 330F for about 10 minutes directly. They get crispy right up!

How to serve Smashed Rosemary Potatoes

You can serve these potatoes as a side and appetizer.

For thanksgiving or Christmas- Serve it along with Roast turkey, Cranberry Sauce and a Pie or Cake.

For a casual Party- Serve it along with dip of choice. I recommend my 5 minute Yogurt Dip or the Roasted Pepper Feta Dip.

I also like to serve them with sour cream or creamy spinach dips. You can also scoop up some queso or guac with these beauties! They also taste amazing with a tangy green goddess dressing or sauce!

Loaded Smashed Potatoes

Sometimes you just want something extra indulgence. For those times, load the potatoes up!

All you have to do is follow the recipe. Once they are out of the air fryer, load them up with all or a combination or just one of the below

• Sour Cream or Mayonnaise or Cheese Sauce
• Shredded cheddar
• Jalapeno or a jalapeno relish
• hot sauce or sweet chili sauce
• Bacon bits

Here is a quick round up of my easy & quick appetisers

Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers
Air fryer Hasselback Potatoes with Garlic
Air Fryer Buffalo Shrimp
Air Fryer Pita Chips
Airfryer Honey Chilli Edamame
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges

If you make these smashed potatoes, do leave me a comment. I would love to hear from you.

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